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| Ron DeSantis |
Mr DeSantis was not speaking off the cuff, but in a prepared answer to a questionnaire put out by Tucker Carlson, a host on Fox News. Describing the war as a “territorial dispute”, he argued that America should not become further entangled in Ukraine when it faces so many other tasks, including countering China and securing its own borders. (read more)
by Rod Williams, March 18, 2023- Our dear leader is being persecuted! He says he is about to be arrested for allegedly paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. Donald Trump/Stormy Daniels
By ANDREW C. MCCARTHY, National Review, March 18, 2023- The Florida governor’s stance on the war appears generally sound, despite his making the unforced error of describing it as a ‘territorial dispute.’ ... To acknowledge that the Ukrainians are not our first-order priority is not to say that their fate is irrelevant to us. ... we are obliged to support Ukraine because we induced it to disarm, in 1994 and 2006, on the assurance of such support. No, we didn’t enter a binding treaty, but we gave our word and Kyiv relied on it, so our honor is at stake. ... I hope Ron DeSantis takes away from this week’s unforced error, in which he described the illegal war of aggression executed by Vladimir Putin’s thuggish regime against Ukraine as a mere “territorial dispute” — as if we should remain neutral in judging the relative merits of the armed robber and his victim. (read it all)
By Chris Sununu, Washington Post, March 18, 2023 - “America First” does not mean “America Only.” It means putting our interests first — and that’s what opposing Russia in Ukraine does.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is not a “territorial dispute,” as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described it this month. Russia is engaged in a war against an innocent people, and it must be condemned. The United States of America is the greatest country on Earth, and we must stand with our allies around the globe to fight aggressive and dangerous regimes that threaten freedom wherever they are. (read more)
Chris Sununu, a Republican, is governor of New Hampshire.
Instead of building children's burial garden as donors were promised, future congressman kept the money for what he claims were other charitable purposes. He provides no proof. ...Further investigation has now discovered that, contrary to Ogles' claims that the nearly $25,000 given by donors were not enough to fulfill his dream, he could have purchased burial plots for needy families for $1,200 each, and two cemeteries say they were willing to work with him. ... Instead of providing NewsChannel 5 with evidence of what he did with the money in advance of a story being published, Ogles waited until after the story broke, then he went on the attack with a statement that, in some cases, came up with brand new explanations.
For previous post on this story, see link and link.
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| Glenn Jacobs |
When: Tuesday, 11 April 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST
Location: AFP Knoxville Office 34 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Contact: Mike Sweeney msweeney@afphq.org 865-399-3208
by Rod Williams, March 15, 2023- News Channel 5 reporter Phil Williams has reported that Congressman Andy Ogles misused money raised as a memorial for still born babies. Ogles himself was father to a stillborn son, Lincoln. 
Andy Ogles
According to Williams, Ogles used photo of a stillborn child in 2014 for a GoFundMe campaign, he promised to build a place for burial of babies with benches surrounded by flowers for families, and a life-size statue of Jesus. It never happened and he kept the money, alleges Williams. I cannot find a video of the report, but you can read the transcript at this link.
According to the Phil Williams report, Ogles would not respond to the allegation. The story has been picked up by The Tennessean and other Tennessee news outlets and the national press including The New Republic, New York Post and others.
Congressman Ogles did issue a press release regarding the matter which was reported in The Tennessee Star. Here is the text of the press release:
In Lincoln’s memory, my family and I started a GoFundMe page to help support other families struggling with grief. Monica and I were the largest donor to the GoFundMe, followed by my immediate family and friends. What we raised wasn’t enough for our original goal of a more significant memorial, so the purpose evolved from a memorial to direct financial support for families covering the cost of funeral expenses and other needs for their children as opportunities to help arose. It’s been our honor to support families and causes in the name of Lincoln Ogles. What started as a small GoFundMe fueled our family into continued service through out our community for several years.
Andy Miller, one of the GoFundMe campaign's primary donors, stated: ‘When Andy began his mission to grow financial support for a memorial for grieving families, I was honored to be able to step up and provide $2,500 for the cause. Andy has used that money and the other donations received to assist families in the community and honor Lincoln’s life. It has been a cause that I have seen support those in some of their darkest hours, and I am proud of my friend’s work to help families in our community.’
I knew politics could be ruthless, but I never expected it to sink to such disgusting lows as to have a reporter calling around to my close friends asking about the death and burial site of our beloved son, Lincoln, and question our giving in his honor. As a parent who has lost a child, my wife and I have lived with this unimaginable grief daily. It’s like living two lives, the one while Lincoln blessed us on the Earth and the life we’ve lived every day after in honor of his memory. It’s a grief that never goes away, and we’ve all just learned to live with the heavy weight of loss.
The smear campaign and muckraking against me is one thing, but questions about my son have crossed a line, and I will not tolerate it. Exploiting the death of any child in an attempt to gain some sort of journalistic fame is vile. These disgusting smears are why people do not want to step up and serve in politics, and it has to stop.
I am blessed to be Lincoln’s father and to honor his memory by continuing to pour back into our community, and I miss him dearly every day.”
To me, Andy's explanation sounds sincere and believable. I am almost persuaded that he started with the best of intentions and when the money was insufficient to realize his goal, he probably did abandon his original plan and probably did intend to use the money as he says he did. But maybe he did not keep records of how the money was spent and maybe some of it never got spend for the purpose he intended. I don't know.
I would be more inclined to totally accept Ogles explanation if he had initially responded to Williams rather than avoiding him. That looks bad. Phil Williams is a fair-minded reporter and a good journalist having broken many stories of misconduct and government waste and abuse. Phil Williams is not a hack with an agenda.
Also, if this was the first claim of misconduct by Ogles, I would be more inclined to give Andy Ogles the benefit of the doubt, but this is not the first case. Ogles has been caught misrepresenting his credentials, his major in college, his employment resume and other questionable things. Some of this can be found here, here, and here.
Andy Ogles was not my first choice for the Republican nominee for the 5th Congressional seat, but I supported him when he got the nomination. Actually, I like Ogles. I suspect this is not the last we will hear of this issue. Also, when a pattern of misstatements and questionable actions emerges, the press keeps digging for more. I hope that is all there is but I am staying turned waiting for the next shoe to drop.
by Rod Williams, March 15, 2023- The State has already reduced the size of the Council by half. Pending is legislation to take over the Airport Authority, to take over the Sports Authority, to reduce the funding for The Music City Center, and to transfer responsibility for issuing Beer license downtown from the Metro Beer Board to the Tennessee Alcohol Commission. All of this was avoidable. I am reposting the chorus of a song in hopes that the message will sink in:
You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim
In case that didn't resonate with you, let me put it another way: Don't poke a bear.
If that is too vague, how about, "A city government should not get into a pissing contest with the State government."
By Jon Styf | The Center Square, Mar 13, 2023 - An aviation expert testified Monday in front of a Tennessee House committee a bill to change who controls appointments to the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority could cause issues for the entity in its future grants from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Kirk Schaffer, former associate administrator for airports for the FAA, gave several examples of cities and states that were in conflict over control over their airport authorities that led to issues with FAA grants, including Charlotte, North Carolina, Atlanta and Jackson, Mississippi.
“I can promise you this,” Shaffer said. “It will cause conflict.”
Shaffer said FAA grant funding is dependent on the airport authority showing it can fulfill funding obligations on projects and ensure it can resolve funding issues. Shaffer it isn’t obvious to him how the airport authority would be able to prove that if the bill passes.
House Bill 1176 would allow the governor, speaker of the house and lieutenant governor three nominations each to the 10-person board with one going to Nashville mayor.
Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, said he feels this bill is different than the cities Shaffer mentioned because those cities were contesting a state creating a new authority over the airport while Tennessee is just looking to shift the power of nominations.
Shaffer’s resume showed he was a two-time presidential nominee to the FAA and has a “35 year record of success providing strategic vision and counsel as an entrepreneurial aerospace executive, advocate, and regulator.” He was general counsel for the Metro Nashville Airport Authority for 18 years.
Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, asked Shaffer if Shaffer felt the bill could impact Tennessee’s economy by causing funding issues at the airport, to which Shaffer responded “yes.”
“If this conflict develops, then the airport authority will be in legal limbo,” Shaffer said.
Garrett claimed the state provides more funding for the airport, which has its own police and fire departments. But Clemmons said Nashville police went to 2,400 calls at the airport in recent years.
Rep. Caleb Hemmer, D-Nashville, added Nashville’s airport operates mainly from its $18 million in net operating income, with the state providing 9% of its capital outlay and the FAA providing 4%.
“It’s very, very successful,” Hemmer said of the airport.
by Cassandra Stephenson, The Tennessean, March 13, 2023 - The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill limiting city and Metro council sizes to 20 members last week. Gov. Bill Lee swiftly signed it into law. ...Metro Nashville attorneys argue the law violates the state constitution and the rights of Davidson County voters.
... In the lawsuit, Metro argues the new statute dismantles the government established by voters when Davidson County and Nashville consolidated in the early 1960s, violating the home rule amendment of the Tennessee Constitution. "Home rule" bars the state from passing laws that impact only a particular county or city in its governmental capacity without local voter approval.
The lawsuit further states the statute's proposal to extend current council members' terms should Metro not meet a May 1 redistricting deadline violates a 1977 state constitution provision mandating four-year terms for county legislators. The same portion of the constitution also exempts Metro governments from a 25-member maximum for county legislative bodies — a clause Nashville attorneys say preempts state legislators' efforts to cap Metro council sizes. ... Metro Nashville also filed a motion for injunction, ...
Nashville Mayor John Cooper, Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz and several of Nashville's state representatives had repeatedly warned state lawmakers that such a law would cause "chaos" in Nashville's government operations and would be impossible to legally implement, hinting that the city would seek legal recourse.
... Here are the pros and cons. .... The new law gives Nashville until May 1 to complete these changes in time for the Aug. 3 local election. May 18 is the qualifying deadline for candidates, at least 30 of whom have campaigns and fundraising efforts well underway. If the city cannot meet this deadline, current council members' terms will be extended one year, and a smaller council will be elected in 2024 for three-year terms using the new district lines. (read more)
Metro sues state over downsizing the council
Axios Nashville, March 14, 2023- .... The law gives Metro two options: draw new council districts by May or have its current council members' terms extended by one year. At that point, there would be a special election to choose new members of the 20-member body, and those new members' first term would be for three years.
The state constitution requires that local legislative bodies have elections every four years, according to Metro's lawsuit.
The other side: The Tennessee Attorney General's Office is aware of the lawsuit and ready to defend the law, a spokesperson tells Axios. (read more)
From Raphaela Keohanem, March 212, 2023 - Please see below. Tomorrow night at 6:30 there will be a special council meeting re the downsizing of the council and how it should be done.
Below you will find my opinion but here is the resolution and the links to the amendments for your information.
RS2023-2062:A resolution directing the Metropolitan Planning Department to prepare a Council redistricting plan consisting of 17district councilmembers and 3 councilmembers at-large to comply with state law; requesting the Metropolitan Planning Commission to hold the necessary meeting(s) to approve the redistricting plan; and requesting the Vice Mayor to call any special Council meeting(s) that may be required to effectuate the redistricting plan. Sponsors: Johnston, VanReece, Vercher, Nash, Swope, Hagar and Druffel
Here is the link to the resolution and the amendments so you can read the amendments and the bill for yourself.
https://nashville.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1088511&GUID=B0A356B0-9E84-4E9A-B2E7-4118BDA45624
From previous email, linked in this email:
I am writing to let you know I SUPPORT RS2023-2062 as proposed not amended. I think 17 council districts and 3 at large council members is exactly the right distribution.
As time is of the essence, I urge you to approve this Resolution so we can have this done in time for the August election. For once let’s all act together and make the best of the situation regardless of your “feelings”. Embrace the change, change is good, and in this instance I agree change is good…..
I commend the State for their wisdom in bringing this body and others in the state to some reasonable size. It never made sense to me that a city with under 1 million CITIZENS had a council the size of NYC with a population of 8 million CITIZENS!
Thanks as always for your time and attention.
Rae
Raphaela Keohanem is a council watcher who regularly reports on the Council agenda and provides commentary. To request to be added to her mailing list, contact her at raekeo@aol.com.
by Rod Williams, March 11, 2023 - The race for Nashville mayor is getting more crowded as more people jump into the race. Also, it is getting clearer who the field of candidates may be as some people who were mentioned as potential candidates let it be known they are not running. Also, however, there are still some people waiting in the wings who may or may not jump in the race. Some of these are big names.
There is one declared candidate who is a Republican and several potential Republican candidates on the sidelines. Is it possible that a Republican could be elected mayor of Nashville? I think so. The election for mayor is a non-partisan election and one does not run on party labels. A person who is perceived as capable and runs a good campaign, I think could win. You may recall that David Fox running against Megan Barry won 45% of the vote.
A bombastic Trumpinista could probably not get elected but I think a moderate Republican could. Nashville is predominately Democrat but some parts of the county, such as the more rural districts on the outer ring of the county and Donelson, often vote Republican. Also, some of the Democrats are old school Democrats and not progressives. Many woke progressives would never vote for a Republican but many other Democrat voters would, I think, vote for the person they perceive as best candidate regardless of party identification. Also, some voters may decide it is time to stop poking the bear and elect someone as mayor who would stop picking fights with the State.
There is a bill pending in the State legislature that may abolish the run-off for the mayor's election. If that passes, then certainly the chances for a Republican to be elected mayor of Nashville improves. With several Democrats in the race splitting the Democrat vote, a Republican could, I think, be elected. We should know the status of that bill next week. If it passes, look for a big-name Republican to jump in the race.
The filing deadline for the Aug. 3 election is on May 18. Here is what we know at this point.
Who is running for Mayor:
Alice RolliAlice Rolli
Alice Rolli served as an assistant commissioner of strategy for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development under Haslam. She served as campaign manager for Sen. Lamar Alexander. She is president of growth at Possip, a Nashville-based software company that provides tools for schools to gather feedback from parents. She is a neighborhood activist, formerly serving on the Board of Edgehill Village Neighborhood Association. She led the effort to prevent development around Fort Negley in 2017. (link)
Natisha Brooks
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| Natisha Brooks |
Natisha Brooks is a Republican and ran in the Republican fifth district congressional primary in August 2022. She is a former educator and has described herself as a "Christian conservative constitutionalist." She has said she will focus on increasing funding and resources for mental health initiatives and police. According to Ballopedia she attended Prarie View A&M University. As of 2020, she operated The Brooks Academy, a home-schooling institution. (more)
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| Fran Bush |
Fran Bush
Fran Bush served on the School Board from 2018 through 2022 as District 6 board member and was a voice of reason and sanity. See, "Fran Bush, "Our district is falling apart and we are doing nothing."' She was by far my favorite Board member during her tenure. After the State legislature made school board races partisan, Bush ran as an independent and lost badly to school board member Cheryl Mayes. For more see link, link, and link.
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| Jim Gingrich |
Jim Gingrich was AllianceBernstein Chief Operating Officer and oversaw the asset management company's move to Nashville. He says affordable housing, poor infrastructure, underfunded schools, crime and increased traffic are the largest issues facing Nashville. See "Jim Gingrich, former AllianceBernstein COO, exploring campaign for mayor." (Jim Gingrich for Nashville) (more)
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| Sharon Hurt |
Sharon Hurt
Sharon Hurt has served as an at-large member of Nashville's council
since 2015. Hurt holds a bachelor's degree from Tennessee State University and an M.A. in nonprofit leadership from Belmont University. Hurt was president and CEO of Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (JUMP) for 23 years before retiring last fall. See Sharon for Nashville and more
Freddie O'Connell
Freddie O'Connell is council member for District 19 which is the downtown area and city's most populous and fastest-growing district. I seldom agree with him about anything, but O'Connell works hard and knows the issues.
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| Freddie O'Connell |
Matt Wiltshire
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| Matt Wiltshire |
Matt Wiltshire served as economic development director under three different mayors and served as a public-private partnership coordinator for the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency. At MDHA, his work included coordination with Nashville's Barnes Housing Trust Fund and assistance with the redevelopment and expansion of six low-income housing sites.
See Matt Wiltshire for Mayor and more.
Jeff Yarbro
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| Jeff Yarbro |
These are not yet in but may jump in:
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| Beth Harwell |
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| Tara Scarlett |
Tara Scarlett CEO of Scarlett Foundation. She is a Republican. She is the daughter of Joe Scarlett former Tractor Supply Company President and Chairman. Link
Vivian Wilhoite Assesor of property who served 8 years in the Metro Council at one time said she was considering running for Mayor but has not said much about it recently.
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| Odessa Kelly |
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| Heidi Campbell |
Bob Freeman is a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 56 and the son of Bill Freeman.
Heidi Campbell former mayor of Oak Hill, is a member of the Tennessee State Senate, representing District 20. In 2022 she unsuccessfully ran for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District. Campbell has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University. Her career experience includes working as an executive in the music industry and owning a business.
People who were once considered candidates but are not running.
Mayor John Cooper
Bill Freeman, former candidate for mayor and other offices, big contributor to Democrat candidates, former partner of Freeman-Webb and publisher of the Nashville Sence and other publications is not running. Apparently, he has some health issues taking him out of the race.
Former disgraced Mayor Megan Barry.
David Fox, former candidate for mayor who ran against Megan Barry and did well getting 45% of the vote in a runoff. He is a Republican.
Carol Swain, author, former Vanderbilt professor, national conservative pundit. She ran against cooper in 2020.
Steve Smith, Broadway business owner, who early took out ads against Cooper. (link)
Hal Cato, Thistle Farms CEO was mentioned as a candidate early on. I don't know if he is still a potential candidate or not.
Quincy McKnight who was a Republican candidate for Tennessee's 5th Congressional district before withdrawing in 2022 and saying he would run for mayor has moved to Florida so will not be a candidate. Thank goodness.
As Senator Johnson said of his bill, if a man want to dress up like Dolly Parton and lib synch, he still can.
This is no different than having movie rating system that restrict by age who may view a movie.
Below is a video of Senator Johnson explaining the bill and below that a copy of the bill.
by Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget -In Fiscal Year 2023, we’ve borrowed $4.8 billion per day for a total of $723 billion thus far. Both the Congressional Budget Office and the White House estimate that this will at least double over the remaining seven months of the fiscal year. That is a truly stunning amount given that we are far from the worst days of the pandemic or any other national emergency.
The President’s budget released yesterday proposed $3 trillion of deficit reduction – we will need a lot more than that to get our fiscal situation under control. It’s time to stop pretending this is normal and start taking action on ensuring the debt doesn’t grow out of control.
We now await the House and Senate Budget Committees to release their budgets. These plans should be presented, debated, and reconciled in a timely manner to enact a budget deal that improves our situation. We’ve offered a way forward for stabilizing our debt and addressing record-high inflation. We urge lawmakers to meet this moment.
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